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AFLW 2024 - Round 10 - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Player Watch Riley Thilthorpe - Signed to End of 2028
- Thread starter Deaneus!
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- Aug 9, 2019
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I was under the understanding we drafted Riley as a KPF, certainly paid the kind of draft capital commensurate with drafting a top end KPF. I always envisaged he'd play a similar role for us as St. Nick did for the Saints when they were serious challengers and most definitely not a lead ruckman. His endurance is well documented so surely he should be out Nick Riewoldt mobile CHF once Tex calls time.
I guess my question here would be if he's playing as a midfielder why not have him do the ruck duties as well? He would be in at the centre bounces anyway. His midfielder-level ball handling skills are partly remarkable because they are rare in a guy his size, and if he can also ruck it seems like a great bonus.
Weirdly enough he’s a much more consistent contested mark up the ground, compared to inside forward 50
Is it a pressure/confidence thing maybe? More nervous hands the closer he gets to goal?
He doesn’t like defenders trailing behind him that’s why he runs under so many contests
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I still think he’s got the highest ceiling of anyone on our list. Could be anything
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Dougie and Gov in the finals moments of that ****ing Motlop Showdown.
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A bigger deal out west.
I think he gets stuck in the same lane as Fog with it where he's trying too hard to wrestle an opponent. Whereas he's more mobile on a wing.
Though, there might be some instruction to it as well, seeing Thilthorpe is as much there to make space for Tex/Fog then anything else.
Kane McGoodwin
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Not coming off an ACL...
I know people here will get bored of me springing up here and there on this subject. But I see again more chat about how the crows should pigeon hole Riley into this position or that one.
Not to press this but I’ve been writing on here just about since he’s was drafted that he’s not - and never should be a one position player. He is best roaming. Once he’s fully developed he will be like the top players who just put themselves where the game demands.
Some goals, some big outlet marks on the wing, some relieving defensive marks, bit of rucking, some clearances. He’ll do it all. Enjoy!
Not to press this but I’ve been writing on here just about since he’s was drafted that he’s not - and never should be a one position player. He is best roaming. Once he’s fully developed he will be like the top players who just put themselves where the game demands.
Some goals, some big outlet marks on the wing, some relieving defensive marks, bit of rucking, some clearances. He’ll do it all. Enjoy!
The issue with Thilthorpe at the moment is that he's doing a bunch of really useful things, especially for a big man, but the two things he is not doing are rucking well or generating lots of scoring opportunities, which are precisely the things you would expect a guy his size to excel at.
For a guy over 2m tall he's great in the contests, has clean hands, makes quick decisions, passes the ball beautifully by foot, kicks well for goal, etc. Unfortunately for a guy over 2m tall he's just not a great contested mark or tap ruckman.
He'll get there, but he's not there yet.
For a guy over 2m tall he's great in the contests, has clean hands, makes quick decisions, passes the ball beautifully by foot, kicks well for goal, etc. Unfortunately for a guy over 2m tall he's just not a great contested mark or tap ruckman.
He'll get there, but he's not there yet.
I think he is a great contested mark honestly. I think he can get better, but he's 10th in the AFL this season for contested marks and that's at 21yo and with 60-70% game time. He just gets most of them up the ground as a roaming target on the wings rather than inside 50.
WaynesWorld19
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Correct .....he's doing that because Tex and Fog are more stay at home FWD's .....and TT is opening up the fwd line for them
Once Tex retires ....you'll see Thilthorpe staying closer to goal
- Aug 6, 2021
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Because we actually kick it to him between the arcs.
He doesn’t mark it inside 50 very often because we very rarely kick it to him there.
I'll just leave this here. He's been doing it all year. MARK, play on immediately, great disposal (he does bite off a lot, so sometimes it clangers, but he creates a lot of goals this way, so I love it).
He does the 45 degree angle inboard kick to set up the team in a more dangerous position at an elite level.
Why I tend to think he's a natural CHF.
Last year he was turning it over doing that. Making better decisions this year.
Particularly given how many off these kicks are taken in circumstances where you could forgive him for having a rush of blood to the head after pulling down a big contested mark in a big game.
Sign of a hugely skilled player
- Aug 9, 2019
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Then we'll still be using him wrong, with his well documented elite endurance he should be our Centre Half Forward given the licence to roam much the same as St.Nick did when the Saints were serious challengers.
- Sep 3, 2018
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Will be top 3 contested marker over the next decade. Already getting close to being in the top handful
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- Sep 3, 2018
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I will give the call on his rucking but way off on contested marks. He takes more than Naughton from the Dogs whose one wood is pack marks. Is 9th in the competition for contested marks which is pretty good for this stage of his career - and above the King boys
Also just to compare the pair
Thilthorpe 4.5 score involvements , 2 contested marks and 6.9 contested possies a game
Logan McDonald 4.5 SI, 0.8 CM and 3.9 CP per game
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I think CHF with 30 % Ruck/midfield is a good use of his talents.
Basically like Tex but able to Ruck up the ground and be part of the stoppage mid rotation.
A think peak Thilthorpe could be average 20 plus disposals with clearances and 2 goals a game.
I agree we paid too much for him to be a pure Ruckman. Unless he is a generational one.
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This is without question the thing he is currently best at. Leading out to win the ball at around 80m or so from goal on the wing, instantly playing on and finding a player inboard.
Almost every time he takes a mark in that position we get a high quality I50 entry out of it, either from him, or from the guy he spots up in a super dangerous position.
He’s coming along fine
agree, and it is also super important. The long bomb down the line from defence is usually the last choice/low risk/low threat option, but Thilthorpe can turn it into something good with a pack mark and kick.
